Is my social media affected by the fallout?

What's this all about? Europeans remain upset that American security agencies routinely spy on their Facebook accounts, email and other data. Some say that if US spies are allowed to keep trawling through our stuff we shouldn't let companies here transact any data to US friends or business contacts.

What's this all about? Europeans remain upset that American security agencies routinely spy on their Facebook accounts, email and other data. Some say that if US spies are allowed to keep trawling through our stuff we shouldn't let companies here transact any data to US friends or business contacts.

Any data? Like an email or a Facebook photo? Surely that won't happen?

We'll have to see. The High Court has referred the issue to the European Court of Justice, which has the final say on all law within the EU.

Is my Facebook affected?

No. Everything remains the same until the European Court hears the matter. That looks likely to happen at the end of next year or early 2019.

The company I work for does quite a bit of business with US organisations. Is that going to be affected?

Assuming they use global "communication service providers" such as Microsoft Outlook or Gmail, yes.

So this is ultimately about trying to get the Americans (or the British) to stop the CIA and MI5 from routinely sweeping through EU citizens' data?